Standing note-book.



Patented- Sept. a, 1901,

E V MENDENHALL STANDING NOTE 800K.

(No Model.)

UNrrn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELBERT VINTON MENDENHALL, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

STANDING NOTE-BOOK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 681,832, datedSeptember 3, 1901. Application filed June 14, 1900. Serial No. 20,351.(No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ELBERT VINToN MEN- DENHALL, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and Stateof California, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Standing Note-Books, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is more particularly adapted for note-books forstenographers and reporters use, but may be applied to any book which itis desired to use open in standing position, supporting means beingsupplied either by stiff covers pertaining to the book or by stiffmembers which will serve the purpose.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensiveappliance by means of which the covers of the note-book can be rigidlyheld in a desirable position to form an easel-support for the note-book,thus to enable the user to conveniently station the book in asubstantially upright position for inspection While transcribing thenotes, the.

It is an object of my invention to provide for practically rigidconnection of the two covers at a desired angle.

In carrying out my invention I may use stiffened covers, to which theordinary note-books of commerce may be detachably applied, so that theperson desiring to use the ordinary note-books now manufactured may doso by supplying himself with the independent cover provided with myinvention. The use of supplemental covers for holding note-books is wellunderstood in the art, and for that reason I have not deemed anillustration of such an appliance necessary in this application, buthave shown the invention applied to a note-book having stiff coverspermanently attached in the ordinary way. I have also shownleaf-springs, which are preferred, al-

though it is to be understood that round or square wire may be used forthe springs instead of the flat thin wire shown.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention.

Figure I is a perspective view of my invention as it appears in use.book is broken away for clearness of illustration. Fig. II is alongitudinal mid-section of A portion of the the note-book, showing openposition and one form of the support. Fig. III is a View showing oneform of spring-tie and one of the modes of fastening the same to thebook-cover. Fig. IV is an edge elevation of the spring-tie detached.Fig. V shows a preferred form of clasp before bending for fastening thespringtie to the cover. Fig. VI shows a preferred form of spring to beused with the clasp shown in Fig. V. Fig. VII shows said preferred formsof clasp and spring attached to the cover, a fragment of which is shown.Fig. VIII is a longitudinal section on line VIII VIII, Fig. VII. Fig. IXis a section on line IX IX, Fig. VII.

The drawings show a note-book furnished with stiff covers 1 2 and aflexible back 3, to which the leaves 4 are fastened in the usual way. Asocket or catch-seat may be provided in any suitable manner on the backof one of the covers to seat one end of a tie fastened to the othercover.

5 indicates a recess or socket for this purpose on one cover at adistance from the flexible back 3 to cause the tie when seated to holdthe covers apart at a desired angle when the book is opened.

6 indicates a spring-tie fastened at one end to the opposite cover andfurnished with a catch or hook 7at the free end of the spring. Saidspring is fastened to said opposite cover at a suitable distance fromthe flexible back 3, so that when sprung away from its cover and caughtin the seat of the other cover it will form a tie between the two coversto hold the covers practically rigid at a desirable angle, thus enablingthe book to stand firmly alone when the catch or hook 7 of the spring ofone cover is caught in the socket of the opposite cover. The book-back 3is bendable, and the leaves 4 are fastened thereto in the ordinarymanner to be thrown over from one cover to the other cover in the usualmanner, as indicated in the drawings.

It is desirable in practical use that each of the stiff covers shall bepermanently provided with a tie and with a socket, so that the tie maybe extended from the one cover to the other, and vice versa,indiscriminately. For this purpose the spring 6 is shown asa leaf-springmade of a, thin strip of steel or other suitable material provided at ornear one end with an opening to form the seat or socket 5 and bent atthe free end to form the catch or hook '7. The leaf-springs are fastenedto the backs, respectively, by any suitable means. Figs. II and III showa staple S, embracing the bar 9, formed between the opening 5 and themargin of the spring 6 and inserted through the stiff cover 1 or 2, asthe case may be, and clenched, and a staple 10, embracing the body ofthe spring 6 between the opening 5 and the free end and inserted throughthe cover and clenched. The ties can thus be made and applied to thecovers at a small expense. The staple 10 is applied to thespring at aconsiderable distance from 1 the free end, which is provided with acatch or hook 7, so as to allow a considerable spring armor body betweenthe fastening and the free end to form the tie between the two cov-(Sh-own in Figs. I and II.) Preferably the tie for each cover is solocated that when in the closed position the catch or hook 7 will cometo the margin of the cover where the flexible back 3 joins the same, sothat the catch fits the flexible back 3 is attached to the same,

the cover. The spring is reduced in width at thefree end to form a catchnarrow enough tobe inserted into the seat or socket 5 provided thereforon the opposite cover.

book in upright position for transcribing notes the body of one of thesprings 6 will be bent away from the cover to which it is attached andbent out to extend at an angle with such cover, and the book will beopened to each other to allow the catch or hook 7 of the spring on theone cover to be caught in the socket or seat therefor on the othercover. When thus adjusted, the book is rigidly held in position to bestood upright, as shown in Figs. I and II. In Fig. I, I have shown amarker 12 10 serve as a guide for the eye of the copyist.

Referring to Figs. V, VI, VII, and VIII, 6 indicates a preferred form ofleaf-spring to be stamped from sheet metal without waste. The spring 6is formed with complementary ends, one. having a recess 6 and the othera tongue 6', which corresponds in outline to the recess 6". The end ofthe tongue 6 is bent to form a hook 7, which corresponds to the hook 7.(Shown in Figs. II, III, and IV.) In Fig. V, I have shown a staple 8 cutfrom a single piece of sheet metal and serving the purpose of the twostaples 8 and 10. (Shown in Figs. I, II, and III.) 8" indicates theclenching arms or limbs of the staple, which limbs are formed integralwith the clasp 8 and are bent from one side of the plate to i passthrough the stiff member of the book- -lines a, so as to :the spring 6,

curely held in same to the book-cover the staple-limbs 8 land fasteningsshown in the drawings. over the edge of the cover at the line where 5cover, as clearly shown in Fig. VIII. The clasp-wings 8 are to be bentalong the dotted fold over the spring 6, as clearly shown in Fig. IX. Inpractical manufacture the wings 8 will be bent with considerablepressure upon the recessed end of so that the spring will be setheclasp. Then to apply the will be inserted from the outside through thecover and will be clenched on the inside of the cover, as indicated inFig. VIII. The

wings 8 extend across the recess 6" of the spring 6, cover of the book asocket or seat 5 to receive thus forming on the back of the the hook 7or 7.

It is to be understood that, if preferred,

. only one instead of both of the book-covers may be furnished with aspring and the other cover may be furnished in any desired way with asocket for the hook 7 or 7- ers when the book is in the easel position.

Various changes in form, proportion, fasjtenings, and other details maybe resorted .to without departing from the spirit of this invention, andI do not limit myself to the specific constructions of spring-ties,sockets,

WhatI claim, and desire to. secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, isthus allowing the spring to lie close against 1. A note-bookcomprising stiif covers and bendable back; one of said covers beingfurnished with a catch-seat; and a spring. fas tened to the back of the.other cover and furnished with a catch to catch in said seat. Inpractice when it is desired to stand the 2. A note-book furnished withstifi covers and bendable back; leaf-springs fastened to .the coversrespectively and each furnished at the free end with a catch and at thefastened end with a seat for the catch of' the 1 other spring.

to bring the two covers into position relative I 3. A book comprising astiff cover; a leafspring furnished at one end with a catch and at theother end with an opening corresponding to the catch; a staple embracingthe spring at the end furnished with said openl and having its limbsinserted through the book-cover and clenched, whereby a catch .socket orseat is provided at the end of the spring opposite the catchsubstantially as and for the, purpose set forth.

4. The combination with two stiff covers and flexible back, of anattachment consist ing of a spring, fastened at one end to one cover,the other end of the spring being free and furnished with a hook orcatch; and a vseat on the other cover to seat the catch or book,substantially as specified.

5. The combination of two stiff covers,

. flexible back and attachment-s thereto, composed of springs fastenedto the covers, re-

spectively, and provided at loose end with catch or hook and seats onthe covers respectively for receiving the catches or hooks sub-' Istantially as specified.

6. The combination of two stiff covers and flexible back, andattachments thereto composed of springs, respectively, provided at nameto this specification, in the presence of loose end with a catch or hookand fastened two subscribing Witnesses, at Los Angeles, at the otherend,and suitable staples or clasps California, this 25th day of May, 1900.

respectively providing a receptacle for catch ELBERT VINTON MENDEN HALL.5 or hook on loose end of the other spring, sub- \Vitnesses:

stantially as specified. JAMES R. TOWNSEND,

In testimony whereof I have signed my A. W. BRODE.

